The statements in this section merely provide background information related to the present disclosure and may not constitute prior art.
The present teachings relate to systems and methods for controlling current sharing of parallel power supplies using thermal feedback.
Electronic power generating systems for providing power to a load can typically include a plurality of power modules, or circuits, which each output a current to a common load. More particularly, the current output by each of the power modules is combined to cumulatively provide the needed amount of current drawn by the load. This is commonly referred to as current sharing, because the plurality of power modules shares in providing the current drawn by the load.
In many instances airflow and temperatures over and around the power system can be variant, or certain areas of the system can be exposed to greater amounts of heat such that each power module can experience differing thermal environments. That is, each power module may experience differing cooling and/or heating effects as a result of variances in airflow and heat exposure at different portions of the power system. Therefore, some power modules may operate at a higher temperature than other power modules of system, which will typically shorten operational life of the module. Thus, since each of the power modules is sharing in providing the needed current to the load, the shorter operational life of the hotter operating modules may result in shortening the overall life of the power generating system, lowering the overall reliability.